TRACKER Boats Reviews - A piece of junk 

Thanks for the review. It's not so much the product, it's how the company handles the situation. I was going to go into bass pro in Rancho Cucamonga for a Nitro build but if this is how they treat customers then they can kick rocks.

I've owned 2 tracker s...great boat for the money... in 19 that came out with a better paint job which I think will eliminate 99% of their paint problems if not all of them... spend 25 thousand on a bass Tracker 190 tournament Edition or $60,000 Ranger... both will catch the same amount of fish

Thank you for the review sir. Can you please give us an update on whats going on? Do you still have the boat? Can you still use it? How is it holding up?

My 1996 tracker targa 18 is still running and looking great today with original merc 115 outboard and motor guide trolling motor. Although I just ordered a new terrova with spot lock. I have made some updates to modernize it with electronics, swim platform and put in a removable rear casting deck but other than that the reliability hasn't been an issue. Nobody believes it's a 1996. Everyone guesses 2010. And it's not garaged. Kept outside even in the CT winters with just a cover on it. Carpet and vinyl has held up great and the marine grade wood decks are good as new. People talk about wood being shit but it's marine grade wood. Not shitty plywood. It's strong as hell. It was a bitch to cut into when I enlarged the speaker holes to upgrade my stereo system. Maybe a few people,have had bad luck with them but my guess is a few people have had bad luck with any boat. But it's a freshwater boat mainly. In 25 years it's seen the ocean maybe 5 times. Just have to flush the motor out and wash he boat down after but I wouldn't use it as an ocean fishing boat or cruiser. Buy a boat for what it's meant to be used for.

I was just at the San Antonio Bass Pro and their NEW 2019 or 2020 1754 had bubbling paint on the top plate in many spots. Imagine what it will look like even if it was only used in freshwater...I wish I could post pictures of it. I was still debating purchasing the 1860, but the more reviews like yours I don’t think I want to anymore.

Good . You saved me from this bad experience. I was going to buy one, but now, will do a thorough research

Thank you sooo much for honest review, I was really about to get tracker 175 classic by the end of the month, You saved me a lots of headaches, I am going for my second option even if little more pricy, I am sure it worth the money when I don't need to deal with what you have faced.

I believe adding self sacrificing zinc anodes may help you . I don’t know if they have them on your Mercury but the Hull needs them too

I see all kinds of folks bitching and griping about tracker. I’ve had a PT190tx I bought new for two years now and have had zero issues. The paint has held up great. The trailer does what it’s supposed to. Has plenty of storage and It does 50 mph and rides dry. I paid under $25k for it with a 115 merc on it. Does it have the best carpet and console materials? No. But for the price point I wouldn’t expect it to. It’s a fishing boat… and for a weekend guy like myself I think it’s been a great boat.

At least Bass Pro Shops answered their phone. Nowadays many companies don't, not even my mortgage company!!

I've got a 2004 pro crappie 175, still looks and runs like new, AWESOME boat!!

I haven't had a good interaction with the sales department at bass pro shops ever , and will never ever go to them for a boat purchase , but to prevent electrolysis on the hull a unique way is to purchase a sacrificial anode from the engine sales and service department and attach it to the hull of the boat ask to see large flat anodes for Mercury outboard motors and then you will have to attach it to the hull prepare the hull by removing the paint at that location below the water line attach using brass screws or stainless steel screws and use silicone sealant to prevent leakage that is a good solution to the problem make sure you monitor the anode and wash with fresh water every time you expose the hull to salt water.

Bought my tracker targa in June. Has spent most of the summer at bass pro shop sitting not being fixed. It’s a piece of shit. I can’t wait to get rid of it

You get electrolysis when current is traveling through the boat. The softest metal will transfer to a harder metal. It's never warranty on any boat. Even fiberglass boats can suffer from electrolysis. Not the hullls, but the out drive, props, and through hull fittings. To prevent this on your aluminum hull, first make sure you motor is grounded to the hull nthen make sure you keep your zinc anodes in good shape. Replace them when they show wear. They are the sacrificial metal to prevent damage to other metal parts, both the hull and engine.

You are absolutely right, I bought a new 2022 Tracker proguide V175 wt for $36,000.00 and trim up system broke after first use, took it to Cabelas and they fixed it then the next day I tried to play with the trim up and down switch and this time the trim up switch just keep rolling even the motor is in the highest tilt position so I have no disconnect the battery and took it back to Cabelas again, they fixed the tilt up and down but when then the next day I noticed the fuel gauge always empty even a full tank of gas but so I took it back but they didn’t fix it also both windshields and steering wheel was loose and making noise. Please go to other brand like Lund or Yamaha.

Thank you for your video

Contact an attorney and let him review your contract.

Just bought my second one....Not a single issue with either boat.

My G3 15 ft aluminum boat on a galvanize trailer has ZERO electrolysis, I do disconnect the battery after I pull the boat out of the salt water, the boat and motor is a 1993 model [mercury] I had this boat for over 22 years

I have owned a Tracker, Nitro, and Phoenix. The Nitro service experience was great, at first. Then it became a disaster. The Nitro was the first boat. It delaminated from the balsa wood in the cockpit, and took six months to get fixed. Twice service lost the boat. Literally lost it. Moreover, it constantly leaked water. I traded it for the Phoenix which has been a far better boat. I picked up a 14 foot Tracker Grizzly 1448 for my back yard. That has been a good experience all around, but there isn't much to go wrong with it. It sits in the water 24/7 behind my house, and I use an epropulsian portable electric outboard to power it. Nitro/Tracker won't allow you take photos in their factory tours from what I've read. That says a lot. They also, still use wood, and IMHO, not very good wood. They really do nickle and dime every dollar out of their designs. The sad thing is that their actual hull designs are pretty damn good. My Nitro was smaller than my phoenix, but fished more stable. Their revolution hull is great for rough water, but the build can't match it. It's sad really.

Wow, I guess some companies will say anything to not honor there warranty. I have a 1998 Pro V-16 and still looks great. I tell ya a little story. Bought my wife a 2006 mustang years ago. Didn't know the car hood was made of Aluminum, it's very hard to adhere paint to Aluminum it's a very expensive process and if not done right the paint will start to bubble underneath. Just ask alot of mustang owners. But buy a older tracker and just update to a new motor. But that's the paint problem it was when it was painted not some BS story. Nothing and I mean Nothing is quality built anymore. It's sad

Thank you Bass Tracker is now off my short list . Good Luck !

Thankyou for the review, i am in the market for a boat and was seriously looking to buy a 2072 Grizzly, but i might pass if they don't honor the 3 year paint warranty!

I feel bad for you. They should make it right. The Tracker Marine Centre at Bass Pro in Calgary, AB bends over backwards with service. I have had two warranty issues on my 2017 Targa V18WT. First time in water I discovered I had a leaking thru-hull livewell fitting. It was loose and needed tightening. While the boat was in for that they replaced a set of seat bases that were on factory recall I knew nothing about. I have never had an issue since. My boat and trailer have been flawless. I've towed the boat over 12,000 miles since purchase and only have two or three small stone chips in my paint and you have to look close to find them. The finish is tough as nails.

Waiting on my now hopefully 4more weeks. Great boats I have an 1988 17 ft been in my family since she was made and many time in salt water. But I am a black water guy myself and lake O is 45 minutes west and pull it in my truck is cheaper on gas then an 3,000 boat

I have a Bass Tracker Classic XL. Boat was really well built. They came out with Diamond Coat paint I think in '19. If u have problems with a lifetime hull warranty, and 5 year warranty on rest of boat then U have to call somebody else in the company. U have it writing. The Modern World will whine before actually taking action to fix anything

On/off switches at the batteries? Maybe you got some of them 240 Volt batteries.

I have a 2005 pro165 Tracker, with a 2017 50hp Mercury. When I plug my charging bank up at home, I always have the safety chains touching the garage floor. I do believe them tow chains act like a earth ground! The aluminum boat is sitting on a trailer with two rubber tires, and a trailer jack with a plastic wheel. Anybody else leave their chains touching the ground?

I'm so glad i saw your review i was just about to buy a new Tracker Targa and had itits fully loaded built on their site when i saw this. A company that has problems like this and does not take care of its customers is not a company i want to deal with. I also just saw another review where a guy bought a new boat from Tracker and the wench bracket weld broke and his boat almost slid off his trailer. Guess what? They charged him for the new part and installation and did not give him his old part back. Thank you so much there is no way ill deal with a company like that, you saved me 60,000+. Five-year bumper to bumper should cover everything. I would get an attorney and sue them. Just wanted to add Tracker Boats does not even take care of veterans with a discount.

put zinc anodes on the motor and the back of the hull also check the wiring system , possibly a bad ground also ,

Thank you for this information 😎

I have a '96 tracker pro deep v17, I replaced the trolling motor with a minnkota power drive, and replaced the engine. But I've never heard of this electric thing your talking about. Sounds odd to me. But anyway, I don't have any paint issues at all. It was garage kept basically showroom condition when I bought it a couple yrs ago.

This is good info I feel for salt water customers. I for one wouldn’t put a canoe in salt water. I’ve been out with guides and I get the draw, it’s great fishing, I just can’t afford what salt water does to anything! Motor, trailer, electronics and now I can ad paint to the list. I’ve never even heard of this. Sorry about your issues, I’d be sick!! Keeping my 190 in the fresh water.

I am in the market for an aluminum fishing boat and have been considering the Tracker and Bass Pro shop but I read the reviews on one of the Bass Pro locations near me and it was NOT good. That kind of turned me off from going there because I feel that the service after the fact is extremely important in terms of how much you will enjoy your ownership but now I hear this and I will be sure to take my business elsewhere and be sure that there is an isolation switch to turn off the batteries. Bass Pro's reputation and their idea of customer service will eventually catch up to them. So far, I haven't seen any great 'deals' on what they're selling.

Thank you for sharing this information. I will pass along your story.

You get what you pay for that’s why Trackers are the cheapest

What electronic device did you change or up grade? You have a bad ground your issue not BPS.

Had a brand new tracker v18. Trailer vibration was out of control. Contacted bass pro, they wanted me to drive 4 hours each way to fix it. Took it to local tire shop, they said the wheels arent straight. I replaced all 4 wheels, no more vibration. Contacted bass pro for answers on what can be done about it. Offered to ship the wheels to them. They said no, bring the entire boat and trailor back. Hung up the phone. 2 years later sold the tracker and will not buy another.

If you use any aluminum boat in Saltwater, please use sacrificial anodes to minimize the issues of running in Saltwater. These are cheap and will do much to save the aluminum in your boat when properly attached.

We had a 175 TXW and no problems ever and it was awesome. We now have the 175 deep v and it’s awesome and no problems. All manufacturers have lemons.

I had a 1988 bass tracker twice I think it was.my first bass boat it was a piece of sh*t hull was cracked carpet tore up trolling motor cables broke all the time ,wires buer up nothing worked all with in 6 months an alot more things happened,dont even want to go into it.i almost quit fishing because of the boat.had a 60 mercury,it wouldnt crank 2 out of 3 trips,had to crank in yard before going to the lake.it took me 2 yrs to finally get someone to trade me for another boat.even today I would never buy another one.there slot better now in 2021 but still cheap quality in my book.under power trolling motor get blowed up in creek so bad trolling motor wouldnt get me out creek 100yrds wide had to sling mud with motor to get out it was so shallow.i have a aluminum triton now had it since 04 awesome boat with mercury efi 150 best boat an motor I ever had.i wouldnt trade it for a even trade for a new 19 foot tracker.i hated that boat an still do to this day.i could go on an on .it was that bad.and they never covered a thing under warranty .I didnt know back then I should have contacted bass pro shops ,i bought the boat at boats unlimited in 1988 dealer treated me bad and didnt fix anything I had to carry it some where else to get service.i go to bass pro shops services my triton ,bass pro shops is great service

Forget about switches just take the battery out of the boat when you are not using it . Check on your hull when you do have the battery in and see if you have any leakage from the battery to the hull . Next go through your wiring harness and see if you have any wires that are nicked and making contact with a rib or piece of the hull .I ask this because people fishing wires through a hull can scrape wires on raw parts of the hull and bare them to make light contact points on the hull. Next check your motor and see if you have any voltage or current leaks when the power is off . And if all else fails check the painted surfaces for contamination; a bad paint job can also do this kind of stuff sometimes . lastly try to bolt zincs which are small zink metal pads to the transom of the boat below the water line and bolt a couple of zincs to the cavitation plate of your motor ,. Sounds like what you have is whats commonly called a hot boat .This happens to a lot of boats in salt water .Sometimes it even runs the fish off because they don't want to be around the mild electrical current produced by the boat . I could say a lot more but try this stuff. Good luck .PS put zinks on your trailer too, it can save your trailer .

It seems like if electrolytes is a know issue they would put the on/off switch as a standard equipment.

It may or may not be electrolysis. Is the battery or any electrical circuits grounded to the hull? If so, remove that ground and ground only to the battery. You can also try anodes or a catholic protection system. Or, it may just be a bad paint job.

So, he bought a freshwater bass boat to fish in saltwater and is upset about the paint bubbling?

I’ve heard this before about tracker. They treat their customers terribly. I’m researching new boats but I’m removing Tracker from the possibility pool

So does bass tracker sell this boat in Florida? That would screw them on the environment reason. By the way, We were told at bass pro in Arizona on this exact boat from the tracker manager. “of course this boat is made for saltwater or fresh water. You just need a galvanized trailer and flush out your motor. And they said if we move to Florida the boat would work great.

Holy cow. I dodged a bullet. Was at BPS just yesterday. These people sound like the folks in the RV business. They don't want to cover anything. Run.

How much time did your Tracker spend in salt water? I’m about to take mine (same year as yours) fishing in the salt water marsh. By the way, their warranty department is the least responsive of any company that I have ever dealt with. I’m very frustrated just trying to reach the person in warranties and have left several call back messages as have the retail stores and their own customer service personnel. Crickets...

Your issue is with Bass Pro service department not Tracker. I would contact them. My 2018 1754 SC Grizzly still looks brand new.

my neighbor purchased a new 17ft tracker 3 years ago.been nothing but trouble .used in fresh water. paint is coming off ,bilge pumps live wells wouldnt work correctly .swithches go out all the time. his wheel brgs locked up after about 300 miles. bass pro wouldnt help with any of the issues! pay the extra and purchase a quality boat. tracker is a walmart boat,built cheap!

Still going to make my purchase, great boats. I’ll just never use mine in saltwater.

Good review BPS should have step up and show respect for the millions of faithful shoppers. Sorry they failed 😞 they sold it it’s a brand they promote

First bad review I have seen on tracker. I have one and love it. Look how many of them have been sold. Not that bad for millions of them still carrying old fishermen out and back year after year.

Had 5 Trackers with no issues. Sorry you had problem. If you look it up all models have some issues reported like cars.

I have heard this before,,,that’s why I bought a simple Xpress boat,,,very simple,,,

They use a zinc annode on outboard motors to slow down electrolysis.

This is why I’m just gonna go ahead and get a wrap on mine

Thankyou for providing this information. This tells me that their boats are of POOR QUALITY & I do NOT want one. I was considering one but now I know to get a Better Quality boat from another mftr who cares about the Quality of the boat they mftr

I have a Tracker 1648, my hull welds failed in about 16 or 17 places. Boat leaked like crazy. I've spent probably 100 hours between fabrication, paying professional welders, and buying metal and tools to get it fixed. Do not buy a tracker, spend the extra money to get a quality product.

put zink on the hull or motor

I love my bass tracker boat

How about showing us the boat damage

What ever happened to your issue? Is your boat fixed? Or...?

galvanic corrotion. two metals that lie opposite on the periodic table and have a very different valence create a battery when in contact. what you can do is add another metal with even a higher valence, it will corrode instead of your boat. is called a sacrificel anode for cathodic protection. zinc might work on your boat, or buy one for outboard motors and weld it on the spot of the problem with silver weld. avoid steel on aluminum contact.

Electrolysis is a real problem, stainless steel props with aluminum will set it up too. Check out what happened Bravo 3 with dual props. Ate the whole drive units off while sitting in the water.

Trackers bow to stern warranty does not cover the windshield I learned also.

I feel for this guy but the problem isn't with the boat it's with the warranty on the boat. Everything the dealer told him is true. Dissimilar metals in contact or connected through medium (water or wet trailer) will corrode. Change your zincs and don't fall for the warranty next time

number one I have been bass fishing for over 40 years with different bass boats I have never seen that issue before so it must be rare like buying a lemon if I was you and I saw that on my 2 year old boat I would have brought it up to bass pro dropped t off and said figure out whats the problem and you fix it its only 2 years old and I would not have said anything about electrolis you really gave them an out by saying what you did I now have a nitro z 8 a fiberglass boat fantastic boat the cost was very reasonable and its sharp looking buit like you said a warranty is a warranty so they owe u and trust me I am a dick and I would not let them get away with it I would even sue if I had to well good luck

You should add some zink to the hull it will take the damage instead of the aluminum

Dear Bass Pro Shops / Tracker / etc: I am watching videos on bass boats, I am preparing to start shopping for one. New, used, not decided. I have long known about Bass Pro Shops' 17' Aluminum Bass Tracker boat, for more than 40 years. I'm 52 and ready to buy one. Watching this video has told me one thing - do NOT buy a Bass Tracker. If this gentleman had to resort to producing this video after begging his local Bass Pro Shops to take a look and offer him some service, I know all I need to know about the Bass Tracker.

Sounds like they forgot to negative charge it before powder coating the boat.

I have been saving money to buy a bass tracker. Now I think I'm gonna go Fiberglass.

2.5 months ago I bought a new $80,000.00 Regency Tritoon. (Regency is tracker's luxury brand) Not one single time have I been able to enjoy this boat. It either won't start or dies. Out of the 10 weeks I've owned the boat, it's spent 6 weeks in the shop at bass pro. I picked it up Thursday after being told it's ready, I put it on the water that Friday. It had the same issue, died multiple times. I brought it back to the shop today, Saturday. At this point I'm paying $80,000.00 for a product that is unusable. And honestly unsafe. This last time I had it on the water i almost hit another boat at the docks because my engine wouldn't stay running. I had no real control over my boat. I'm wasting money and my time. I'm beyond upset as I'm watching the boating season come and go all while my band new boat sets in the shop once again.

I would call Springfield mo and get ahold of Johnny Morris who owns tracker

check and see if your boat has steel rivets in it if so that is the root of it

Every boat that I have had, I installed an off switch on my batteries

I had a 17 Nitro, a 175 jet and a 170. My 170 is a 2003. Still looks new still has the original motor trailer and trolling motor. IMO they are fresh water boats. Trailer boats. They are not made to sit in the water. My year they were not painted. Stray electrical currents are in Marinas. From the other boats, from the dock power, from your own boat. Boats that sit in the water have anodes that need to be replaced often. The anode attracks this current to protect your boat. I have owned many other boats designed to sit in the water. That is not what a tracker is designed to do. You cant jump it off a cliff either. What we have here is lack of boating knowledge. Then bashing the company for your lack of basic boat care.

Shouldn't the boat have sacrificial anodes?

Go talk to Kent Saxon at Gator Trax and design your dream boat that will last you a lifetime

Johnny Morris is worth 4.1 billion looks like they could repaint it.

THANKS>. was looking at a new one... ILL PASS NOW ....

I've heard nothing but horror stories about bass trackers that are bought directly from bass pro, including the warranty. I've I ever bought one it would definitely not come from bass pro

This is a good article for you to read and help understand what’s going on here. This way maybe instead of blaming someone else you can rig your boat properly.

Agree Johnny Morris will do nothing when it comes to repair. I had (2) Ranger RT aluminums that had the hulls split and they said go pound sand. Now on the other hand my 2006 Tracker 190 is a far superior build, made with much better aluminum, plus it outperforms those horribly designed hulls of the newer rangers.

just bought my 2022 190 TX. if the paint peels so what. I'll camo it. and salt water is cause not a damn battery

Contact Tracker Marine directly

Well looks like I’m going for a Ranger now. Thanks for the info. 👍🏻

We ran our aluminum boat in salt and fresh water. That is b.s.

Zink Sir Sorry you got mistreated Johnny Morris strikes again

When I brought my boat in for service they spray painted blotches over the rust lmfao... service is a JOKE

Owned a Tracker Targa that had 4 hair line cracks in the hull where the stringers where welded to the hull and a lot of poor quality and craftsmanship. Sold it and bought a Lund.

Hm well for a piece of junk I loved my pro guide v16 and v175.

Its likely 2 diffrent metals acting against each other

Attorney! They'll fix it......

haven't had any trouble with mine...It's been all over the united states.

It's not painted for salt water

well they are not designed for saltwater dip ding

Bullshit !!!! Tracker boats have the one of the best ratings ever in the boating industry amazing built in the USA and all aluminum inside no rust.

I don't know, I got a Tracker Classic XL and love it. No problems, great value for the money. I can't blow 60k on a bass boat and my boat catch's just as many fish. But see I only use mine in fresh water, like they suggest. Maybe you should've shilled out for the salt water boat instead of being cheap and then attack Tracker. Judging by your channel name you seem like that grumpy old man that literally has a problem with everything they buy.